Six Doctoral Student Positions with Scholarship at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, Poland

 

The European Research Council (ERC) sponsored project entitled "Narrative Modes of Historical Discourse in Asia" (NAMO) has the pleasure to announce up to six doctoral positions for a period of three years to commence on August 1st 2016 and finish on July 31st 2019. The hosting institution is one of the leading Polish universities, Adam Mickiewicz University (AMU), located in the Western part of Poland, Poznan.

 

Project NAMO is looking for six capable candidates who hold MA degree and have expertise relating to one of the following fields of Oriental or Asian studies:

 

The Principal Investigator (PI) of the project, Associate Professor Dr. Ulrich Timme Kragh, will serve as the main supervisor for all the students. Additionally, each doctoral student will be assigned an academic advisor who specializes in the candidate's respective field of study.

 

The fundamental purpose of the project is to research and produce writing in the form of advanced academic articles and monographs on the topic of narrative modes of historical discourse with a geographical focus on India, China, and Tibet. The historical periods to be covered are spread across time and include both the ancient and medieval as well as modern eras. In the case of India, the sixth candidate will specialize in Persian modes of narrative and their influence on Indian historiography.

 

Drawing its academic methodologies from literary theories of trope and emplotment presented in classical Asian traditions of poetics, dramaturgy, and epistemology, the project aims to present a novel analysis of Asian historical narrative employed in select classical and medieval histories from the Indian, Chinese, and Tibetan traditions of historiography, as well as in select modern academic histories written in India and China in the period 1980-2010. Hence, in its nature, NAMO is mainly theoretically orientated and although historical and literary sources in their original Asian languages are at the crux of the project and are an indispensable basis, its goal is to engage theoretically through developing new methodologies for studying narrative modes in various Asian contexts.

 

The study of narrative modes has become a major trend in the Western hemisphere many decades ago with the appearance of the groundbreaking study by Hayden White entitled Metahistory: The Historical Imagination in Nineteenth-Century Europe published for the first time in 1973. Following this trend, in the ensuing decades many non-Western scholars took interest in the topic of metahistory, however, it is felt that the existing studies have exclusively concentrated on applying Western modes of thinking onto their historical traditions rather than trying to uncover their own indigenous narrative modes in non- Western historical discourses. Consequently, the main task of NAMO is firstly to study the indigenous modes of narrative as found in Indian, Chinese, and Tibetan literary traditions and secondly to establish suitable methodologies allowing to engage in a theoretical discussion of metahistory and narrative not only in the respective areas but also across the traditions and in extensive theoretical dialog with leading specialists of the Western humanities.

 

 

Adam Mickiewicz University is one of the three largest and dynamic universities in Poland and has an impressive record of upholding advanced studies of a large array of non-Western languages and cultures. Notably, it not only boasts a newly expanded historical department hosting many brilliant theorists of history, such as Professor Ewa Domanska, but it is also opening within its broad interdisciplinary frame a new international center for theory of history. The successful candidates will be researching in that center and have their office spaces therein.

 

The successful candidates will not be required to pay any tuition or graduation fees, and will be eligible for a three-year scholarship set according to UAM's doctoral scholarship levels. Additional funding will be available for academic travel purposes. The scholarship will be merited quantitatively depending on the candidate's accomplishments in academic writing throughout the whole period of her or his doctoral studies. The research contract will be renewable subject to yearly evaluation. The evaluation will mainly be based on the academic reports that the candidates will be producing regularly as well as on the amount and quality of the written pages of their ongoing doctoral dissertation. The formal rules for doctoral students and their writing will follow UAM's guidelines for PhD candidates hired as researchers and not as workers of the university. After successfully defending their doctoral dissertations, the students will obtain the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, PhD, either in the humanistic discipline of literature or linguistics according to the decision by the Faculty Council.

 

Given the very advanced character of the project, the candidates are expected to possess a high level of qualification for research work in the pertinent disciplines. The foremost requirement of all six candidates is thorough knowledge of the relevant indigenous language, while theoretical predilections are indispensable. The candidates should have a wide variety of study skills and a natural inclination for research and academic writing. Each candidate must be fluent in the pertinent Asian language, speak and write in English which is the working language of the project, be familiar with relevant secondary

 

The successful candidate must complete writing of her or his doctoral dissertation within the three-year period, must complete and submit one academic article, and will be required to travel, attend relevant seminars, and present papers at

international conferences. S/he will be expected to collaborate with specialists within her or his own field, and be willing to get involved with the work of the whole team and its objectives. Most importantly, applicants must show ability to theorize and think analytically. Methodological skills are a must.

 

 

Persons interested in applying must send the following documents in one copy and in the following order:

 

1. COVER LETTER in English, describing in detail how the candidate feels s/he can contribute to the project through her or his academic experience and knowledge, what methodological and theoretical skills s/he possesses, listing all the languages s/he fluently reads, speaks, or writes in, as well as what pertinent literature s/he studied in those languages, the letter must begin with an opening statement expressing a formal request to be enrolled as a doctoral student at the Faculty of Modern Languages and Literature at Adam Mickiewicz University addressed to the Head of Doctoral Studies,

4. BA and MA GRADE TRANSCRIPTS, must be in original certified copy and in certified English translation, furnished with an explanation of the relevant grading system according to the American grading system,

6. PUBLISHED ARTICLES and MAJOR PAPERS, must be in original language and in English translation when applicable, written on the graduate level,

7. THREE LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION in English, preferably including one letter from the Thesis advisor, one from a member of her or his Thesis committee, and one from a professor who influenced her or his critical thinking the most,

10. PASSPORT, certified copy in original language, including the pages with photo, passport number, and the place and date of its issue and expiry,

12. VALID EMAIL and SKYPE ADDRESS, very important since the communication between the candidate and the selection committee will be conducted over email and skype,

13. OTHER, in case the candidate wishes to present other relevant documentation to the selection committee, such as proof of English language proficiency.

 

Only fully complete applications will be taken up for the selection process. The most qualified candidates will be invited for an interview.